NBA Legend Magic Johnson Discusses Overcoming Hardship: ‘I Always Lean On My Faith’
By Movieguide® Staff
NBA legend and Hall of Fame basketball player Earvin “Magic” Johnson recently championed his faith amid the release of his documentary, THEY CALL ME MAGIC, a four-part documentary series on Apple TV.
Aside from Johnson’s accolades on the court, the documentary also covers his battle with HIV, which forced him to retire from playing basketball in 1991.
In a recent press conference, Johnson said that he relied on his faith in good and bad circumstances.
“Faith was everything,” he said. “I always lean on my faith. God has truly blessed me to come through a lot of challenges in my life. Especially when I think about HIV, always being there for me and helping me make the right decisions when I need to make tough decisions.”
“Also, just blessed me with the best wife a man could have in Cookie and our children and grandchildren,” he added. “So I lean on my faith all of the time. I will never stop doing that, loving the Lord, loving God. I just thank him every day for everything that he’s blessed me with.”
Johnson also credited his mother, Christine, and her example of faith and prayer throughout his life.
“She has always prayed for me and has always been there for me,” he said. “She has influenced my life to give back. That’s the reason I give back so much is because of my mother. And I love her for that.”
Movieguide® previously reported:
The former Los Angeles Laker legend thanked God for his life and protection during the past 30 years.
“God has really blessed me!” Johnson, 62, tweeted. “Today marks 30 years living with HIV, so the message resonated with me in such a tremendous way. I thank the Lord for keeping me, giving me strength, and guiding me for 62 years but especially the last 30.”
“Through it all I learned to trust in Jesus and I learned to trust in God!” he added in a separate tweet.
After 11 All-Star selections, three MVP awards, and five NBA championships, Johnson retired in 1991.
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